Weddings are super expensive. Even if you’re a DIY bride and choose to celebrate in your own backyard there is still a bunch of stuff you have to pay for and certain things (photographer, videographer, celebrant) that you really shouldn’t scrimp on if you want a decent job done. But! There are definitely a few things you can do for FREE, yes FREE, that will make your Wedding Awesome! Here are a couple to get you thinking: –

1) LET GO!

Stop worrying about the weather, stop worrying that Uncle Jim’s going to drink too much and make a fool of himself, stop worrying that everyone else will have a great time and actually start having one yourself… just let go. This wedding business should be FUN and if you keep overthinking every single thing (especially the stuff you can’t control anyway) you’re actually going to forget what it’s all about; getting married to the person you love. And the irony is, when you say your vows you promise to stay together through good times and bad, no matter the weather, so put your money where your mouth is and focus on that; as long as you both turn up and say “I do” it’s been a successful wedding. Rain and drunk uncles aren’t bad omens for marriage but having a face like thunder on your own wedding day probably is.

2) WRITE YOUR OWN DAMN VOWS!

We’re serious. Guess what your wedding day is actually about? Making the promise to each other that you’ll be together forever through thick and thin (and all the slightly podgy but comfortable stages in between) and a bunch of other promises that only you two can keep. So how about making those promises really relevant to you because after all only you guys know what you are and aren’t capable of throughout your intended marriage; unsurprisingly those multiple choice option vows offered by your Celebrant haven’t been written FOR you. So stop spending hours on choosing the sugared almonds that best match your ochre bridesmaid dresses (no one actually breaks their guests’ teeth with sugared almond bonbonniere any more do they? Please don’t) instead spend time where it matters; putting into words your love for each other and your dreams and intentions for your marriage. It’s something that costs nothing more than time and will add so much happiness, so much love and so much meaning to your big day.

3) WRITE KILLER SPEECHES

“We just want to get the speeches over and done with to get to the party”… Whaaaaa???? We’ve heard this WAAAAY too many times and it drives us NUTS! Not only because the speeches are so integral to our ability to create a film that tells your unique story, but because the vows and speeches are what your wedding day’s all about! Surely? These are the moments in your day when you get to tell the world… YOUR world, your new husband/wife… how you feel about them. You get to release a barrage of love on your family and friends there celebrating this momentous day with you, FOR you… how is that not a moment to be relished? How often do you get the opportunity to be so open about your feelings without reservation? Please don’t see it as a dumb ‘formality’ but what it really is; a part of your day that can literally MAKE your wedding reception. Trust us, we have seen A LOT of weddings and amazing heartfelt, funny, planned and thought-out speeches can set you up for one hell of a party full of love and laughter! And again, other than a little time, they’ll cost you nothing… not a cent!

4) TIME OUT

When you’re putting together your runsheet schedule 10 minutes in there for time out, just the two of you; give yourselves the opportunity to marvel in what’s actually happening. You would have put years and months of planning into a day dedicated to celebrating your love and yet, if you’re not careful, you won’t even get 2 seconds alone. The whole day will fly by and trust me when I say (having been a bride myself) it will feel like you’re not completely there. Like you’re in a dream. So having a few minutes with one another to go ‘oh wow, we pulled it off, we’ve done it, we’re married’ will be invaluable… and FREE!

5) SURPRISE!

Never underestimate the element of surprise! The WOW factor! People LOVE surprises so see if you can work something in to surprise your guests, each other or just one of your friends. It’s so much fun to watch a face light up from the unexpected happening. It doesn’t have to be anything big, and it definitely doesn’t have to cost you much, if anything at all. With our own wedding all it cost us was a can of creamed corn to surprise Shaun’s best man… I bet that’s got you wondering. 😉